Irish shipping volumes rise by 1pc in three months

Shipping and port activity in the Republic of Ireland rose by 1pc in the three months to 30 June when compared to the corresponding period of 2016.

Unitised traffic – which consists of Roll-on/Roll-off and Lift-on/Lift-off traffic – continued to rise, growing by 3pc year-on-year, according to the latest iShip Index published by the Irish Maritime Development Office.
The majority of Roll-on/Roll-off traffic was between Ireland and Great Britain.

The Roll-on/Roll-off freight sector for the Republic of Ireland saw volume growth of 3pc in the three months to 30 June. This is the fifth consecutive three month increase in this freight category.

Meanwhile Lift-on/Lift-off (container ship) traffic exports rose by 7.4pc year-on-year, while Lift-on/Lift-off imports were relatively unchanged.
The bulk traffic segment saw tonnage volumes decrease by 1pc (excluding transhipments) in the Republic of Ireland when compared to the same period last year. This was driven primarily by a 3pc fall in dry bulk tonnage.

Break bulk volumes grew by 3pc while liquid bulk traffic remained stable compared to the same period in 2016.